By Dr. Kodey S. Hughes, Superintendent, Juab School District

One of the greatest parts of beginning a new school year is watching our educators and staff open their doors and more importantly, their hearts and arms to the children and families of our community.

On August 17, Juab School District held its annual Opening Institute to welcome employees back for the 2026-27 school year. More than 300 teachers, bus drivers, food service workers, custodians, secretaries, administrators, and support staff gathered at Juab High School to celebrate one another, reconnect, and prepare for another year of serving students.

Our focus this year is simple: Moments That Stick

To help introduce that message, we welcomed author and educator Matt Eicheldinger as our guest speaker. Matt is a former elementary teacher from Minnesota and the author of Sticky Notes, a collection of stories inspired by notes he kept about the students and families who touched his life throughout his years in education.

His message to our employees was a great reminder: Don't let the meaningful moments pass by without noticing them.

In education, those moments happen every day.

It might be a kindergartner learning to read their first words, a high school student finally understanding a difficult math problem, or a freshman nervously stepping onto the field for their first performance under the Friday night lights. Sometimes it is a high five in the hallway, an encouraging word after a difficult day, or simply an adult taking the time to listen.

These moments may seem small when they happen, but to a child, they can be anything but small.

That is one of the remarkable things about working in a school. Whether you drive a bus, prepare lunch, clean a classroom, answer the phone, coach a team, teach a lesson, or lead a school, you have opportunities every day to make a difference in the life of a child.

After our morning together, employees shared lunch and conversation before returning to their schools and classrooms to make final preparations for students. Watching them leave that day, I was reminded again of something special about our schools and our community: our people care about kids.

Education is ultimately about relationships. It's about opening our schools, opening our arms, and opening our hearts to the students and families we have the privilege to serve.

As the school year gets underway, I have a simple challenge for our community. When you see one of our educators or staff members, take a moment to thank them. Then ask them a question: "What is a moment you've seen this year that will stick with you?"

I think we will hear some pretty amazing stories.

#JuabProud